Daniel Boone

September 24, 1964 – September 10, 1970
165 one hour episodes (6 seasons)
in color except for season 1 which was B&W on NBC
Created by: Aaron Rosenberg
Produced by: Fespar Enterprises and 20th Century Fox Television

CAST

Fess Parker — Daniel Boone

Patricia Blair — Rebecca Boone

Darby Hinton — Israel Boone

Dal McKennon — Cincinnatus (the Inn Keeper)

Ed Ames — Mingo (4 seasons)

Veronica Cartwright — Jemima Boone (2 seasons)

Jimmy Dean — Josh Clements (2 seasons)

Don Pedro Colley — Gideon (2 seasons)

Robert Logan — Jericho Jones (1 season)

Albert Salmi — Yadkin (1 season)

Rosie Grier — Gabe Cooper (1 season)

Opening Theme

Written by: Vera Matson and Lionel Newman

Daniel Boone was a man,
Yes, a big man!
With an eye like an eagle
And as tall as a mountain was he!Daniel Boone was a man,
Yes, a big man!
He was brave, he was fearless
And as tough as a mighty oak tree!From the coonskin cap on the top of ol’ Dan
To the heel of his rawhide shoe;
The rippin’est, roarin’est, fightin’est man
The frontier ever knew!

Daniel Boone was a man,
Yes, a big man!
And he fought for America
To make all Americans free!

What a Boone! What a doer!
What a dream come-er-true-er was he!

Daniel Boone was a man!
Yes, a big man! With a whoop and a holler
he c’d mow down a forest of trees!Daniel Boone was a man!
Yes, a big man!
If he frowned at a river
In July all the water would freeze!But a peaceable, pioneer fella was Dan
When he smiled all the ice would thaw!
The singin’est, laughin’est, happiest man
The frontier ever saw!

Daniel Boone was a man!
Yes, a big man!
With a dream of a country that’d
Always forever be free!

What a Boone! What a do-er!
What a dream-come-er-true-er was he!

TIDBITS

The story is about an iconic historical figure, Daniel Boone (Fess Parker)and his adventures in and around Boonesborough, Kentucky a settlement which Boone was establishing. The time is pre-revolutionary and most of characters are fictional except Boone himself.

Boone’s best friend is a Native American named Mingo (Ed Ames), he also has a wife Rebecca (Patricia Blair) and a son Israel (Darby Hinton). The family wasn’t the center of the show but they did show up in quite a few episodes. He also had a daughter Jemima (Veronica Cartwright) but she mysteriously disappeared during the second season.

Mingo was half-Cherokee, educated at Oxford University and spoke perfect English. This was a first step and helped to set the tone for the portrayal of Native Americans in the media.

The shows drama came from skirmishes with less friendly indians and the occasional scoundrel or outlaw. Boone’s inherent common sense and strong moral compass usually saved the day and set the show up as a family favorite.

Video Clip of Daniel Boone

Passings

Fess Parker died in 2010 of natural causes, he was 85
Dal McKennon passed away in 2009 of natural causes, he was 89
Jimmy Dean died in 2010 also of natural causes, he was 81
Albert Salmi died in 1992 of a self inflicted gun shot wound after having killed his wife, he was 62

Fess Parker had previously appeared as Davy Crockett in four Walt Disney specials. These shows started a bit of a craze for all things “frontiersman-ish”.
The producers thought it would be a good idea to air a tv series about Crockett, but there was one problem… Disney wouldn’t sell the rights to Crockett. That’s how Daniel Boone got his own series on tv, starring of course – Fess Parker!